Unavoidable
by Vengeful
Summary: One night together. That's all it was. She had a boyfriend already, his boss in fact. But yet neither could stop, leading to an affair that will change the way two people look at life, and love. NSR, GS angst galore. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: On the Yahoo Snickers fanfic group, I issued a challenge. The theme of the story had to be betrayal and secrecy. It had to be anti-griddle. Make them flame you, make them hate you. That was it. I, of course, had my own ideas in mind (and half written out). Originally a one-shot, I figured it would work best as a two-part story. I honestly have no idea as to how this came out. So please, tell me what you think. I'm a big girl…I can handle the truth.**

**Emily**

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

UPDATE: 7/10/07: Grammar has been edited, and several errors have been fixed. Hopefully, it will be a bit better on the eyes now.

* * *

**Unavoidable: Part 1/2**

She was a horrible person. This thought ran through Sara Sidle's mind for what seemed like the millionth time, as she lay tangled in the bed's sheets, the warm body of Nick Stokes lying next to her.

What had she done? Just what the hell had she been thinking, sleeping with Nick when she had a boyfriend who loved her, someone who would give her the world if she asked.

"Sara?" She jumped at Nick's sleepy voice. "You awake?"

"Yeah. Just…thinking."

"This was…"

"A huge mistake," she finished.

"He's my boss, and my friend, and he has been in love with you forever."

Sara had at this time already left the bed, and was now proceeding to get herself dressed. "I know. And I love him…I really do." And she did! She loved Grissom very much. The question was did she love him as a boyfriend, or as a friend, a mere infatuation? They were silent as they dealt with the uncomfortable aftermath of a one-night stand between two friends. A period of time made worse by the fact that one of them just happened to be dating the other's close friend.

"Please…don't ever mention this again. It was a huge mistake, brought about by too much stress," Sara pleaded as she opened the door to leave. And in all honesty, that's what it had been. They had a tough week, and the pressure had been building for some time. Pair that with one or two beers (thought that was hardly enough to lower their inhibitions) and it erupted in an awkward encounter.

"Of course. It would kill Grissom if…"

"If he ever found out," Sara agreed.

"So what will you tell him?"

She shrugged. "That I fell asleep on your couch while we were watching a movie."

And with that she left, to return to the man who loved her, the man whom she truly belonged to. She had gotten Nick Stokes out of her system, and that was that.

Until a week later.

They had seen little of one another throughout the week, caused by both a heavy caseload and careful avoidance of one another. But when you work so close, confrontation eventually cannot be avoided, nor can attraction be denied.

Once again, the week had been hard, and combined with the effort it took for each to avoid the other; both were tired and cranky, causing most of the lab to make an effort to stay away from them. So as it was, Sara thought she was alone as she slammed her locker shut with a loud bang, finding some satisfaction in the way the row vibrated as though with anger.

"Angry are we?"

Sara looked up, her eyes narrowed. "Tired," she said stiffly. Nick nodded.

"I can most definitely relate to that." There was silence. Then:

"Sara I…"

"Nick…" they spoke simultaneously, both breaking into nervous laughter.

"Damn it Nick. This could never work."

"I know. Its crazy to even think about." He did not need to ask what she was talking about, for it was the same thing that had been on his mind all week,

"Six months with Gil, Nick. Six months. I just can't throw it all away." Yet despite her words, she was slowly coming towards him, just as he was inching towards her.

"And I have never seen him so happy. He loves you and I cant just take that away from him."

"And I love him…I really do." She sounded unsure of this, Nick noted, feeling momentarily smug. He immediately tried to push that feeling away. He wanted Grissom to be happy; he wanted Grissom to be loved in return. But yet…

They were now face to face, and he was close enough to feel her warm breath on his face. Just another inch and their lips would be touching.

"I thought we got this out of our systems," she said softly, her voice low. Nick bit his lip; god he wanted nothing more than to kiss her.

"And yet," she continued, "I still want you so badly."

It was all he needed to know, and he pulled her into a hungry kiss. She kissed him back, her hands tangling in his hair as their lips moved with a passionate fury. Seemingly on their own accord, his arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer as their kisses intensified. Days of avoidance and denial had once more led up to this meeting, and now had Nick's mind not been clouded with lust, he perhaps might have realized the seriousness of what they were doing, and what it would once more lead to. But even had he realized this, it would have made no difference. They had crossed that bridge, and there was no turning back now. They broke apart, both breathing heavily, faces flushed.

"My place."

Sara nodded. "I will be there in twenty minutes."

Nick didn't know how many road rules he broke as he drove home, but he simply could have cared less. His mind was focused on a certain female, the feeling of her lips on his, wondering just how long he would last.

Sara did in fact arrive only a few minutes after Nick. He pulled her into his apartment, wordlessly, their lips meeting once more as they stumbled towards the bedroom, tongues engaged in a furious duel. Nick pushed her on the bed, their clothes discarded in a trail leading to the bedroom, as their bodies prepared to melt into one, once more.

It was sometime later that reality once again set in, in the form of a simple phone call. From the hall, a shrill ring awoke the lovers from their sleep. Sara pulled herself from the bed, recognizing the cell phone to be hers. Nick watched as she opened it. He did not need to ask who it was, for the horrified look on her face gave it away.

"Hey Gil," She said, trying to sound normal. "I'm on my way home right now. I got caught up with something." At this point, she was attempting to dress while talking to Gil.

"Love you to," she said before hanging up. She looked at Nick.

"Shit."

"You can say that again." He had pulled on his pants, and now stood in front of her. He knew that she had moved in with Grissom a month ago, after he had finally admitted his feelings for her over six months. If what they had was to continue, they would have to manage their time better.

He mentally slapped himself on the head. How could he even think about continuing an affair with Sara Sidle behind his friends back? Sara seemed to pick up on his train of thought.

"What are we doing Nick? I don't want to hurt Gil yet…" She shook her head. "It doesn't matter, does it?" He didn't know if she was referring to what she wanted, or Grissom.

"I don't know."

"I don't think…can we stop this?" She looked so young, so innocent at that moment.

"Sara…" She silenced him with a kiss.

"I…I have to go." She hurried out, dazed and confused.

The whole drive home, her mind reeled with thoughts of the night before. What was this…. thing? Was it even a thing? After all, it wasn't as though she and Nick had been sleeping together over a long period of time; certainly not enough to compare to six months with Grissom. Right? Okay, so maybe the sex was better (all right…much better), but you shouldn't throw away…well, whatever the hell it was she had with Grissom (she was reluctant to say 'love') for that.

It would have to stop, she decided. She would have to just…stay away from Nick. She was a strong woman. She wasn't some teenage girl with overactive hormones. She would not become one of those women who cheated on the men they lived with. Nick was a good guy, and he deserved someone like him. Most definitely not someone who couldn't give him their heart.

Yes. As soon as she could, she would call him, telling him that they could not do this again.

Two weeks later, they were back in bed together.

It had, of course, been another, accident, Nick thought as he lay awake, well aware of the slender brunette cuddled up next to him. But regardless, shouldn't he feel guilty as hell?

Because truth was he felt no guilt whatsoever.

How the hell did they wind up like this, he wondered the fourth time it happened. It would start so innocently, for it wasn't as though they planned these encounters…

At first.

As luck would have it, a six weeks later (and three er…encounters) found them working together once more, a fate both had blissfully avoided up until then, Grissom preferring to keep Sara with him (not that Nick minded, for he was not jealous…_really,_ he was happy for them. Kind of) however, fate has a mind of her own.

And a sick and twisted sense of humor.

Usually, when they were together, the initial encounter would happen out in the parking lot, resulting in Sara following Nick to his home. But this time…this time things were different. The case was bad, affecting Sara badly. But then again, abuse cases always hurt her. So after shift, she had gone out for a drink (for Grissom was away on a conference in Florida). Naturally, a few drinks later, her inhibitions were sufficiently altered, and thus, when Nick found her, she was, well, to put it simply, loosened up a good bit.

And so two drinks with Nick later found the pair in the woman's bathroom, slammed against the stall door, grappling for bare flesh, touching, kissing frantically.

The morning after (and several pills of aspirin later), Sara came to a very important conclusion.

She had no control over her hormones when it came to Nick Stokes.

Sad, but true. Nick, having come to this conclusion several encounters early, was eager to agree to 'officially' start an affair with her. It would be simple, he thought. No strings attached, just sex. No one knows anything. This ends as soon as possible.

And when Grissom came home from his conference, and kissed Sara in greeting, he had no idea that just hours before another man had kissed those very same lips; that another man had held her intimately in places that only the boyfriend should hold one's girlfriend.

Of course, you can try to fool your friends, but you can't fool yourself forever, for if you play with fire, you are bound to get burnt.

* * *

**A/N: Part two coming…well, whenever the hell I write it I suppose. Please, tell me what you think!**

**Emily**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I know it has been some time since I wrote and posted part one of this, and for that, I am very sorry. I originally wrote this whole chapter right after the horrible season finale, when my anger was at a peak. But it was late, and the ending was horrible, to say the least. I could not post it as it was. So, what, two weeks later, I finally finished it. Expect one last part, an epilogue, very shortly. It will just tie up some loose ends and such.**

**On another note: thank you so much for the reviews! I was honestly very surprised that so many people responded to this. I was also very, very happy. Thank you so much, and I hope that this is up to your expectations.**

**One final thing. This chapter contains somewhat more…racy material…than most of my previous works. Certainly, in my opinion, nothing to warrant an 'R' (or, rather, a 'M') rating. But nevertheless, I wanted to give you a slight heads up.**

**Enjoy!**

**Emily**

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero. Zilch. But I would really love to own this all. Then I could fix the mess they like to call the CSI season finale.

**WARNING NOTE: This story contains cheating. I do not, in any way, shape, or form, condone such behavior, nor do I encourage anyone to go out and cheat on a significant other. This situation is for plot purposes only. Thank you, and enjoy the story.**

* * *

Gil Grissom had never been the jealous type. He had never had a reason to be jealous. Never before had he dated a beautiful woman, a woman who could have had any other man, but had chosen him. 

Not until Sara, that is. She was young, smart, and beautiful, and could have chosen any man. But she had chosen him! Him! And it wasn't just a pity fuck, their first time together (which occurred the night Brass had been admitted to the hospital). She had stayed with him, for six-no, seven, months now. She was his, and he wanted everyone to know it. Grissom gave a bright smile to the jeweler as he accepted the diamond ring he had just purchased, tucking the small treasure in his jacket pocket, where it was sure to be safe.

While Grissom was buying Sara Sidle an engagement ring and planning out how he would propose, Sara was also busy planning.

Planning how to wiggle out from under Nick's arm without waking him. They had been up late, touching and tasting one another, making each other cry out countless times. Finally, when they could no longer move, they had fallen asleep. But at some point, Nick had pulled Sara close to him, and had effectively trapped her nude body underneath his muscular arm. Sara wiggled a bit, but this only seemed to make Nick wrap his arm tighter around her.

"Sara?" Well, it seemed she didn't need to deviously plot how to best get away from her lover. She smiled at him and kissed him softly.

"Late night?"

"Minx."

She laughed as he kissed her again. She then turned to look at the clock. Sighing, she pulled herself away from Nick.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"Home. Grissom will be wondering where I am."

He nodded, his smile melding into a frown. "Oh, right." They were quiet.

Their affair had been going on for around a month by this time (officially, that was). No one seemed to suspect a thing, for they had always been close friends. They had never given anyone cause to suspect that they were anything more than friends. And besides, who would ever suspect Sara Sidle of cheating on Gil Grissom, the man that she had been in love with.

Was! Was in love with! Sara reminded herself of this quickly. She WAS in love with Gil Grissom. She hadn't been, she was.

Right?

Right?

Because she didn't love Nick. Well, not love love. She did love him as a friend. And she loved sleeping with him. And kissing him. Kissing him was much more enjoyable than kissing Grissom.

No! Nonono! Bad thoughts. You love kissing Grissom, she told her traitorous mind sternly.

She sighed as she climbed into her car and headed back to the home she now shared with Gil Grissom. They were going out for a fancy dinner tonight, and she would be the happy girlfriend, deeply in love with her boyfriend (which she was!). She should be happy to be going out. She loved Gil Grissom!

So why did she want nothing more than to turn her car around and spend the day and night with Nick instead?

Nick watched as Sara drove away, blatantly disobeying the speed limit. This whole affair thing was damn complicated. They would lose track of time and she would stay over to long at his place. Or he would give her what was meant to be a quick kiss in the locker room and it would turn into a heavy make out session.

Or he would see Grissom with her, kissing her, or think of her in his bed, and he would feel like killing the older man.

Nick groaned; he was in way over his head.

* * *

Sara looked once more at the diamond that sparkled on her left ring finger. 

She was engaged. Dear lord, she was engaged to Gil Grissom. This was what she had always dreamed about, being in love with someone who loved her back. She had always known Grissom was the one she would spend her life with.

So of course when he had proposed she had jumped up and had thrown her arms around him, screaming, "YES!"

Well, actually, that wasn't exactly true.

In reality, she had stared dumbly at him for what must have been five, ten minutes (well, maybe not quite that long, but it sure felt like it, with everyone in the restaurant staring at them, waiting for her reply). She didn't really remember saying yes, or anything that happened after. It was all sort of hazy. She vaguely remembered nodding her head slowly, and the ring being slipped on her finger. She remembered people clapping, and strangers congratulating them. And at some point she must have kissed Grissom, or done something sexual with him, for now she was in bed, nude, next to him.

She should have been elated.

But all she could think about was how the hell do I tell Nick?

As it turned out, she hadn't needed to tell him at all. Grissom had apparently told Catherine what he was planning on doing. So of course, at some point after she accepted, he had called Catherine telling her that she had said yes. Catherine had, of course, spread the word and when Sara arrived at the lab the next day, everyone was congratulating her.

They were all sincerely happy for her.

All but Nick.

Of course he had smiled, and hugged her, and told her how happy he was for her. But his eyes had not agreed with those expressions. She had seen him slip away, to go outside away from the jolly atmosphere. She followed him, for they needed to talk.

She found him outside, on the roof.

"This is over. It has to be," was all he said.

"I know. Now that I am engaged…"

"I know."

"Good."

"Good." They stood in uncomfortable silence for a moment before Sara moved away, towards the door.

"I have to go back…"

"Go ahead. Your fiancé is waiting."

Sara could have sworn she heard a trace of jealous anger in his voice.

* * *

Nick had never realized how large and empty his bed felt until after he broke off his affair with Sara. She was so small, yet she made his bed seem so much smaller. 

He missed that.

He missed a lot of things about her, actually. Her kiss, her touch, her laughter. Those things that he alone had heard. But that was all in the past. She was all Grissom's now. They would marry, and she would bare his children, and they would live happily ever after. And he would forever live in jealousy, watching them from afar, admiring Sara and wishing to god that he was the one that she came home to every night.

He was not looking forward to this.

Days turned into weeks, and before he knew it, a month had passed. Some geniuses at the lab had gotten the brilliant idea of throwing Grissom and Sara an engagement party at some fancy hotel (the name of which Nick didn't know, and quite frankly, could have cared less about). He had, of course, agreed to go, for he had to play the part of supportive colleague.

Of course, the moment he set his eyes upon her, he knew that he should have just staid at home. Screw proper conduct! If his initial reaction to seeing Sara Sidle, dressed up in a strapless vibrant red ball gown was any indication, he was not going to be doing anything remotely 'proper' during the course of the evening. He gulped as his eyes followed her. Desperately, he tore his stare away from her, trying to find something, anything, to stare at. He tried to find another woman; someone prettier, or even sluttier would do at this point. Anyone that could keep his mind (and body) occupied.

This strategy, as it turned out, did not work.

His eyes kept going back to Sara. He grabbed a drink, hoping that the alcohol could throw him into blissful obliviation. But the alcohol could not help keep him from noticing how enticing she looked, with her dark hair pulled up, the bare expanse of skin exposed by the strapless dress visible to all.

They locked eyes as she twirled with Grissom, and Nick knew he could not stay in the same room with her and longer. He turned and quickly strolled out, heading towards the nearest restroom. But as he walked through the lavish halls, he heard the clip of heels behind him. He turned, to see Sara running after him.

Sara let out a sigh of relief as Nick stopped and she caught up to him.

"Hey," she said.

"Hello. Nice party," Nick said stiffly. "You look lovely."

She blushed. "You look quite handsome as well Nick."

"Listen, I really have to…"

Sara put a hand on his arm. "What is the matter with you?" she demanded. She looked up at him, her eyes determined. "You have been cold and harsh and down right rude to me ever since Gil and I got engaged."

"Well, what the hell do you want me to do? Say I am happy for you? I said that!" His voice had risen into an angry whisper.

"What do I want? I want you to mean it, damnit!"

"I Can't! Okay? I can't mean it! I can't tell you I am happy for you because I am not! It kills me to see you with him! To see him holding you, touching you! _I_ want to take his place! God help me, _I_ want to be the one holding you," he exploded. He finished, panting from his angry rant. Sara stared at him, her face unreadable. Nick wondered briefly if she was going to slap him, for being so rash. Hell, it wasn't until he actually said the words out loud that he realized that that was exactly what had been so wrong with him the past few weeks. He was about to speak again, apologize for his outburst, but suddenly, her expression softened.

And then she kissed him.

They clung together, as though they would die were they to let go. She wrapped her arms around his neck as they stumbled towards the nearest room, an empty ballroom, at it turned out. Sara worked quickly on Nick's button down shirt, as he worked the zipper of her dress. They frantically worked, eager to feel the naked skin of one another. Sara lifted her neck, allowing him access to the creamy exposed skin that he had been fantasizing about all night, and he eagerly took advantage of the invitation.

Oh god, she had missed this. She had missed him. His chest was now exposed, and soon his slacks followed, falling in a forgotten heap. Her legs wrapped tightly around him, they exchanged frantic kisses.

God, she had forgotten how good he felt. How good this all felt. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she had a vague idea that what they were doing was wrong, that she was at her engagement party, for goodness sakes. But all thoughts of right and wrong were forgotten as they came together in a clash of sweaty limbs.

Of course, reality hit as they floated back to earth. Sara's eyes widened as the reality of what they had just done hit her. She had just had sex: hot, sweaty, passionate sex. During her engagement party. To another man.

She didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. She settled for a groan as she pushed herself up off the ground where the two had fallen.

"Nick…this was a…"

"A mistake. I know." His tone was accusing, and she looked at him curiously.

"Yes, I mean…"

"You're engaged, you love Grissom. Yeah, I know. But here's the problem." He had gotten up, and was now gathering up his clothing. He looked at her, meeting her eyes. "You don't love him." Her mouth dropped, as she just stared at him.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You don't love Grissom."

"How…how dare you tell me who I love! How dare you have the audacity to say that to me!" she growled. Her kept his gaze on her, unaffected by her anger.

"If you loved him, we would not be here."

"It was a mistake…" Nick shook his head.

"Once is a mistake. Maybe twice. But we have done this so many times, that this can't be counted as such. Sara, we had an affair. You knew exactly what you were doing. You chose to do it. There was no mistake, no accident."

Sara looked away, knowing what he said was true. Maybe she didn't, love Grissom. But it was to late to turn back now. She could never leave him at this point, not this far along. "So what do you want me to do? Hmm? Leave him? Then what?" When he didn't answer, she turned her back. "That's what I thought," she said, as she started for the exit.

"I'm leaving the lab." His words stopped her, and she turned around to stare at him.

"What?"

"I'm leaving Vegas. I can't do this any more Sara. I can't continue this. I'm tired of all of this. I just can't deal with any more sneaking around, only having you for stolen moments in time. I don't want to share." Nick no longer cared how foolish he sounded. He continued, "I hate that Grissom has you. I hate that I hate that. I hate being a willing participant in an affair. So there you have it. I'm moving to a lab up in Montana. They have another position open." Sara's eyes widened.

"You mean…"

"Take it or leave it, Sar. I'm leaving next week. And I would…" He took a breath. "I would love for you to be there with me. So there you have it. Either come with me, away from Vegas, or stay here, with Grissom. It's your choice."

Sara suddenly felt faint. She should have known that Nick would not just take this. In fact, thinking back, she was somewhat surprised that he had not given her this ultimatum sooner. How was she to decide? She tried to sort out the pros and cons of each in her mind, but realized that this was one decision that she would have to let her heart, not mind, decide.

And that thought, that idea of letting her heart think for her, rather than rationally think it over, terrified the hell out of her. She felt herself back away, shaking her head.

"I…I…I can't decide this right now," she whispered. And then she fled the room. She ran as fast as her heels would let her, through the hall, back to the ballroom that her party-her _engagement _party was being held. Yet as her hand reached for the lavish door handles, she paused.

Could she go back in there? Back to the dancing, the happy atmosphere, the false smiles? Could she really go back to pretending to be in love with Grissom? _Marrying _Grissom?

No. And she turned around, racing back down the hall, hoping to god that Nick had not yet left. Much to her relief, she spotted him walking to his truck out in the parking lot.

"Nick!" she called out loudly. He turned his head at the sound of her voice and paused, allowing her to catch up with him. "Nick!" she gasped, out of breath from her mad dash to catch him.

"Sara."

She smiled up at him. "I'm coming," was all she said. A broad smile spread across his face as he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, throwing herself into the kiss, as he picked her up, swinging her around as they both smiled. They kissed again, and she poured her heart into it, the kiss passionate and full of love. Finally, they broke apart, with Sara beaming up at him, her eyes sparkling with newfound light and hope.

"When do we leave?"

* * *

**A/N: Whew! I do hope that you enjoyed this chapter, and that it was up to your expectations. I am not sure of it, but I really hope it was okay for all of you. And once again, there will be a final epilogue, to tie up some loose ends, and that should be up shortly. Please, leave a comment and tell me what you thought of this part!**

**Emily**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: As promised, the epilogue of the story is here. I really meant to get it up sooner, but time somehow escaped me. Next thing I know, weeks have gone by, it's nearly August, and school is starting next week (yes, next week. August 3rd, to be exact). **

**Anyway, I hope this ties up a few loose ends and is satisfying to all who have been reading. Thank you so very much for your comments, and please, tell me how you think it turned out. **

**  
Emily**

**Disclaimer: Do I sound rich? Do I seem like someone who would allow the writers to put Grissom and Sara together? No. Therefore, I must not own anything. Damn. **

* * *

He'd known almost immediately, before opening it, what the contents of the letter would say. He knew, the moment he saw his name scrawled on it in Sara's messy writing, that the letter would not contain a message of love. Sara wasn't the type to write such things; she was more of a verbal person. He didn't open the letter up right away, though. He thought for a moment, for thinking was what he did best. Sara had been different ever since their engagement party. She had seemed…happier. He didn't know what it was, or why it was, but he had the eerie feeling that the radiant smile that would often appear on her face was not for him. 

He took a deep breath and lifted the letter of the table, carefully opening it and pulling out its contents. He felt his heart drop as a ring fell onto the table with a clang. Hands shaking, he unfolded the note, and felt his heart break as he read her words.

_Dear Grissom, _

_I don't know how to start this. I suppose you already have an idea as to what I might need to say, for you always were smart. The ring, which you have undoubtedly found, might also have given you a clue of sorts. _

_So why, why I wonder, is it so difficult to say the words, or rather write them? I suppose I should be telling you this face to face, instead of leaving you with naught but a letter. Yet I am, I guess, somewhat of a coward when it comes to confrontation (as you know). _

_I wish that things had been different. I wish that everything had gone according to my plan. In that plan, we would have lived happily ever after, desperately and completely in love with one another. Yet as you know, life isn't always that kind to us. _

_I am rambling, I know. I am delaying the inevitable-the part where I explain why I left. The part when I confess all of my sins (of which there are plenty), and the part in which I hurt you even more. Part of me just wants to end this letter here, tell you I really do love you and that I just can't do it. But another, stronger part of me knows that at the very least, I owe you the truth. So the truth I will give you. _

_I cheated. I lied to you and I cheated on you. It was about six months into our relationship when it started. I will not go into details, or try to excuse my actions. What I did was unpardonable, and I do not expect you to forgive me. However, I will try to explain my later actions. I guess I fell in love. Or maybe I had always been in love with him and it took me six years to finally see it. I don't really know. All I can tell you is I cheated on you with Nick Stokes, and I fell in love with him. _

_It was not his fault. The blame rests solely on me. _

_I…I don't know what else to say. We are both leaving; on your desk, you will find our resignation forms. We are moving to Montana where there is a lab with openings for both of us. I ask you, for your own sake, not to contact either of us. It is best if you just try to forget. _

_You deserve someone special, someone who will love you will all her heart and soul. I could never be that person; no matter how hard I tried. I would never love you with all I had. And here I go, I realize, trying to make excuses for what I have done. Here I am doing the exact thing I swore I wouldn't do. _

_Again, I am rambling, for I do not know what else can be said. So, I suppose I will end this letter here. _

_  
Goodbye Grissom. May you find someone else who you may love and who may love you in return. _

_Sara Sidle_

Grissom didn't cry, nor did he throw a fit; that just wasn't him. Instead, he merely stared at the letter in his hands, his body numb, and his only coherent thought being so this is what heartache feels like.

He didn't know how long he sat there, nor did he care. He finally caught a glimpse of the clock, and decided to leave for the only place where he could submerge himself in something else, and hopefully forget Sara and her betrayal for the time being: the lab.

* * *

Something was wrong, Catherine thought as she sipped her lukewarm coffee, grimacing at the taste. Thirty minutes ago, their shift had started. And there was still no Grissom to be seen. Odd, considering Catherine had seen his truck in the parking lot earlier. 

Stranger yet, Nick and Sara were also both missing. She wondered if perhaps Sara had fallen ill, and Grissom had needed to go home to her. Then again, she had never known Sara to be held back by illness…

"I think I will go find out what is going on with Grissom," said Catherine to an equally confused Warrick and Greg. They nodded in agreement and Catherine got up to solve the case of the missing boss.

She found him in his office, staring blankly at his desk. Upon closer inspection, she found that he was staring at two slips of paper.

"Hey Gris. What do you have?" she asked, sitting across from him. Wordlessly, he shoved the two papers across for her to look at. She furrowed her brow in confusion. They were two forms of resignation. She let in a sharp intake of breath as she saw the two names inscribed on the tops.

"Nick and Sara?" she questioned. He nodded, and looked up. For the first time that day, Catherine was able to get a good look at him. His eyes were swollen and baggy, as though he had not gotten any sleep in some time.

"She left me." It took Catherine a moment to comprehend his words. Once she did, however, she let out a gasp.

"Sara? That doesn't sound like her. Maybe she just got cold feet and will be back soon…" Grissom was already shaking his head.

"She' s gone for good. She didn't just leave me. She left me for another man." Catherine quickly put two and two together.

"Nick?" she ventured. By the crestfallen expression on Grissom's face, she could see that she had hit the mark.

"Said they'd been having an affair for some time. Didn't love me anymore. Loved him I guess. They ran off to Montana." For once, Catherine had no words for the man in front of her. So she did the only thing she could think of. She walked around his desk and lay a comforting had on his shoulder.

* * *

**ONE YEAR LATER**

"I got another email from Nick and Sara today." Warrick's voice was low, as his eyes darted around for any sign of Grissom. Seeing the man nowhere in sight, he continued talking to both Catherine and Greg.

A few weeks after Nick and Sara had left, Nick had emailed Warrick. In the email, he had apologized for his actions, trying to explain why they did what they did. He had asked Warrick to read the email to both Greg and Catherine as well. They had started regularly emailing one another, each email Warrick showing to his fellow two CSI's. For obvious reasons, Grissom was never told about any of this.

After leaving Vegas, Nick and Sara had gone to Montana, as they said they would. They had married in a small chapel, in a small ceremony. A few months later, Warrick had received word that the couple was expecting a child.

Now, Warrick held in his had a letter from the couple, paired with some pictures they had sent. The email told everyone they were doing fine, everything was perfect. Sara had given birth to a baby girl that they had named Casey.

The pictures were of the three. One in particular seemed to capture the family dynamic especially well. It had been taken in the mountains, though by whom, Warrick did not know. It showed the three of them; Nick had his arms wrapped around Sara, who was holding an infant. The two new parents gazed down at the child with love.

Warrick had never seen either Nick or Sara look so happy.

Later that day, he was walking down the hall when he bumped into Grissom.

"Warrick, how are they doing?" Warrick was sure his expression mirrored that of a deer caught in the headlights.

"Who?"

"Nick and Sara."

"Err…"

"What I mean to say," Grissom took a breath, "what I mean to say is are they happy. Is…is she happy?" Warrick thought back to that picture, of the small family. He nodded.

"They really are."

Grissom nodded. "That's all I needed to know." And with that, he walked away.

* * *

**A/N: Not much else to say. Again, I hope you enjoyed the final installment of this story. It is DONE. No, there will not be a sequel. Sorry. Nevertheless, please, leave your reviews. I love to hear from you!**

**Emily**


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